Skeptics’ Odysseys and Star Trek’s Voyages
We conclude our fortieth anniversary celebration of the Skeptical Inquirer and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with eight invited essays in this issue by noted skeptics collectively labeled “Odysseys in Scientific Skepticism.” Eugenie Scott, Harriet Hall, Christopher French, Wendy Grossman, Ben Radford, Susan Gerbic, Richard Saunders, and Michael Marshall share their personal journeys into scientific skepticism. I think you’ll be impressed with the many different paths they found. Following that, we present a detailed update of the CSI(COP) historical timeline. Preparing it, I was surprised how much has happened in the past twenty years.
Our first feature article about nuclear power is not by a nuclear engineer or a nuclear advocate (or nuclear opponent). It is by a psychologist, Daniel A. Vogel, who began his exploration of this crucial topic by wondering if part of the opposition to nuclear power is psychological—rooted in problems with how we evaluate risk. Our cover article, “Nuclear Power and the Psychology of Evaluating Risk,” is the result. I think it is a good first step in helping all of us use the tools of scientific skepticism to understand our own thinking, good and bad, about energy and risk.